Disposable outerwear

ABSTRACT

Outerwear that substantially protects the wearer from the elements during extended athletic activity events and is sufficiently inexpensive to be considered disposable, and a method for using the outerwear in such events wherein the events include a defined route, such method comprising distributing the outerwear to participants in the events, providing a plurality of containers along the event route, using the containers to collect the outerwear that is discarded by participants, and recycling the discarded outerwear. The outerwear is preferably made of a lightweight single layer of nonwoven microporous material, which is non-restricting, wind resistant, water repellant yet breathable, and provides sufficient protection under most conditions so as to eliminate a need for extra layers, and may include a first portion embodying a jacket and a second portion embodying pants wherein each portion may include one or more of the following: zippers, snaps, buttons, Velcro or the like, perforations, and elastic members for gathering the material to provide a snug fit against the wearer. The outerwear can be marked with indicia to promote a particular athletic event or a product, service, or sponsor.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/751,394, filed Jan. 5, 2004, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/460,912, filedApr. 7, 2003, the entire content of all are hereby incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains generally to articles of clothing, and moreparticularly to disposable clothing for outdoor athletic activities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Individuals participating in extended-length endurance athleticactivities, (e.g., marathon, half marathon, triathlon, cross-countryskiing, mountaineering, etc.) typically begin the activity wearingmultiple layers of clothing in order to be prepared for changing weatherconditions. For example, a marathon always begins in the morning, oftenquite early, when the temperature is relatively cool. Because themarathon is run over an extended period of time, the temperature oftenbecomes warmer, as does the runner from the exertion of the run. Amarathon runner typically wears several layers of clothing, each layerdesigned to protect the runner from one or more ambient conditions, suchas cold, wind, and rain. Additionally, the layers should work togetherto keep the runner comfortable by wicking away perspiration, andmaintaining the runner's body temperature at a comfortable level (e.g.,early in the morning when the air temperature is cool and theparticipant is waiting for the race to begin). Such layers of clothingoften range from disposable plastic bags to sweatshirts and sweatpants.The bags, however, have no sleeves, are not very comfortable becausethey billow as they are not designed to be used as clothing, and do notallow perspiration to escape. Sweatshirts and sweatpants do not protectagainst rain or wind. If they get wet, they tend to make the wearercolder, rather than warmer, and add unwanted weight due to absorbedperspiration and precipitation.

“Technical” outerwear made of GORE-TEX or other synthetic fabric withsimilar properties is a well known alternative to the aforementionedlayering concept. While popular for recreational running, the use oftechnical outerwear in marathons is disadvantageous. As a marathonprogresses, the clothing needs of the marathon runner may change withchanging weather conditions and body temperature. Often, the marathonrunner becomes warmer as the race progresses, and removes one or morelayers of clothing. The removed item is typically discarded, however,since technical outerwear is relatively expensive (a jacket and pantstogether may cost as much as $500), a marathon runner may wish to retainremoved technical outerwear on account of its cost, and may carry orotherwise affix the item to themselves, thereby creating an undesirableencumbrance or otherwise restricting the runner's mobility for theremaining duration of the marathon. This is why marathon runners oftenselect inexpensive disposable layers including old sweatshirts andplastic bags.

In view of the foregoing, there is need for low-cost disposableouterwear that has properties similar to that of more expensivetechnical outerwear. Additionally, it would be advantageous if theouterwear were easily removable, lightweight and compactible into asmall space for storage. Preferably, the outerwear should provideparticipants of extended-length endurance athletic activities anaffordable lightweight garment that addresses a variety of weatherconditions as well as accommodating personal preferences of use (e.g.,disposable or reusable). Additionally, the outerwear may provideparticipants with the ability to customize the garment mid-activitywithout stopping, thereby alleviating concerns the participants may havein selecting appropriate garments given changing and foreseen or unknownweather conditions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention provides disposable outerwear thatsubstantially protects the wearer from the elements during athleticactivities and is sufficiently inexpensive to be considered expendableor disposable. The outerwear may include a first portion embodying ajacket and a second portion embodying pants. Each of the first andsecond portions may include zippers, snaps, buttons, velcro or the like,perforations, and elastic members for providing a snug fit against thewearer. The outerwear is lightweight, non-restricting, wind resistant,water repellant yet breathable, and provides sufficient protection so asto obviate a need for extra layers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the inventive outerwear embodied as ajacket and pants.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged front view of the jacket of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the pants of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, disposable outerwear 10 is shown, including jacket14 and pants 18. Disposable outerwear 10 provides warmth, windresistance, water repellency, low weight and breathability, among otherthings.

In one exemplary embodiment, jacket 14 and pants 18 are preferred to bemade from a material including fine, continuous fibers of 100%high-density polyethylene that are randomly distributed andnondirectional. The material may be, for example, Tyvek® spunbondedolefin manufactured by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. However, thematerial is not to be restricted to Tyvek®, and other materials thatpossess the same or similar features and/or benefits of Tyvek® may alsobe used to make jacket 14 and pants 18.

The material may be virgin or recycled. However, jacket 14 and pants 18are generally made with a single layer of recycled Tyvek® material toreduce the materials cost, and because only a single layer is typicallyrequired to provide the above-mentioned features and/or benefits in manyapplications.

Referring now to FIG. 2, jacket 14 is sized and shaped to cover awearer's upper body, and includes sleeves 30, cuffs 34, collar 22, waist42 and closure device 26 for fastening opposite sides of the jacket 14.As shown, the closure device 26 takes the form of a zipper, however,other closure devices, such as buttons, snaps or Velcro, may be used.Zipper 26 is secured to opposite sides of the jacket 14 by sewing,gluing, welding, or other suitable method. However, when manufacturingjackets and pants from recycled Tyvek®, which is often in the form ofused and discarded lab coats, there are often unwanted materials, suchas buttons or snaps, or blemishes that must be removed. These unwantedportions of material are cut away using a serging machine, whichsimultaneously cuts and sews material. The serging process is an unusualway to sew in a zipper and is not customarily used for this purpose.Therefore, a customized sewing foot was developed to accommodate thesimultaneous cutting of unwanted fabric and the sewing in of the zipper26. The foot is used to guide the material past the cutting blade andsewing needle and made to fit according to the specific size of thezipper 26.

Elastic waistline 42 is formed by stitching a conventional elasticmember such as a rope, ribbon, or band along the bottom of jacket 14.Elastic waistline 42 provides a taper to jacket 14 and a snug yetcomfortable fit against the waist of an individual wearing jacket 14. Inaddition to providing a more stylish or esthetically pleasingappearance, the elastic waistline 42 snugly seals the bottom of jacket14 against the individual, thereby minimizing billowing and unwantedairflow through the jacket 14. The jacket 14 includes sleeves 30 havingelastic wrist cuffs 34 at ends of sleeves 30. Elastic wrist cuffs 34 areformed by stitching a conventional elastic member such as a rope,ribbon, or band along the ends of sleeves 30. Elastic wrist cuffs 34provide a taper to sleeves 30 and a snug yet comfortable fit against thewrists of an individual wearing jacket 14. Elastic wrist cuffs 34 alsohelp prevent unwanted airflow through jacket 14 by sealing the open endsof sleeves 30 against the individual's wrists. Further, elastic wristcuffs 34 help prevent unwanted moisture from entering jacket 14 throughsleeves 30.

The elastic member of the waistline 42 may, in some constructions, havea different size, shape or elasticity than the elastic member of wristcuffs 34 to provide a different fit at the waist as compared to thewrists. For example, wrist cuffs 34 may be less elastic than waistline42 to provide a more comfortable and less restrictive feel to jacket 14.Alternatively, one or more of the foregoing elastic members may beomitted to provide a desired fit and price. For example, an individualmay prefer to tuck the jacket into the pants. In this example, theelastic member of the waistline 42 is not necessary and may be omittedaltogether, thereby reducing the cost of the outerwear 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, pants 18, include a groin portion 50 and pair of legportions 54 extending from the groin portion 50. The groin portion 50 issecured to an individual's waist by elastic waistline 58. Elasticwaistline 58 is formed by affixing a conventional elastic member such asa rope, ribbon, or band along the open end of groin portion 50. Elasticwaistline 58 provides a taper to the groin portion 50 and a snug yetcomfortable fit against the waist of an individual wearing pants 18.Elastic waistline 58 also helps prevent unwanted airflow through pants18 by sealing the open end of groin portion 50 against the individual'swaist. Further, elastic waistline 58 helps prevent unwanted moisturesuch as precipitation from entering pants 18 through the groin portion50. The pants 18 may also include elastic ankle cuffs 66 formed in thebottom of leg portions 54. Elastic ankle cuffs 66 are formed bystitching conventional elastic members such as ropes, ribbons, or bandsalong the open ends of leg portions 54. Elastic ankle cuffs 66 provide ataper to leg portions 54 and a snug yet comfortable fit against theankles of an individual wearing pants 18. Elastic ankle cuffs 66 alsohelp prevent unwanted airflow through pants 18 by sealing the open endsof leg portions 54 against the individual's ankles. Further, elasticankle cuffs 66 help prevent unwanted moisture from entering pants 18through leg portions 54.

The elastic member of the waistline 58 may, in some constructions, be adifferent size, shape or elasticity than the elastic member of the anklecuffs 66 to provide a different fit at the waist as compared to theankles. For example, ankle cuffs 66 may be less elastic than waistline58 to provide a more comfortable feel to pants 18, or waistline 58 maybe more elastic to prevent pants 18 from falling down during rigorousactivity by an individual wearing pants 18. The elastic ankle cuffs 66may be omitted because some individuals prefer to have unrestrictive,open cuffs. Furthermore, open cuffs advantageously allow a wearer tomore easily remove the pants when wearing shoes. In addition, when theelastic ankle cuffs 66 are omitted, the leg portions 54 of the pants 18may include markings disposed on the leg portions 54 to facilitatecustomization of the length of the leg portions 54 by the wearer. Forexample, the pants 18 may be produced with relatively long leg portions54 and sold as “one size fits most”, and the markings may indicatetypical pant lengths so the wearer may cut, roll, or otherwise shortenthe leg portions 54 to achieve a desired fit.

To further facilitate removal of the outerwear 10, the jacket 14 andpants 18 may each include a quick removal means. The quick removal meansmay be embodied by any one or more of the various aforementioned closuredevices 26, or perforations. Since the outerwear 10 is substantiallytear resistant, the jacket 14 and pants 18 may be provided with one ormore perforated portions so the wearer may rip or tear away theouterwear 10 for relatively quick and easy removal. This quick and easyremoval is especially desirable in the case of pants 18. Removal ofpants such as sweatpants and warm-up pants often requires that a runnerstop from running, and either remove their shoes, or balance on one footat a time to pull each leg out of the leg portions 54. Referring to FIG.3, perforations 80 are provided along the sides of pants 18 tofacilitate quick and easy tearaway removal.

Although the wearer may render the jacket 14 and/or pants 18not-reusable by ripping, tearing, or otherwise destructively removingthe outerwear 10 along perforations 80, the outerwear 10 is replaceableat a relatively low cost. Moreover, the destructively removed outerwear10 may be discarded, collected or otherwise reclaimed, and recycled intoouterwear 10 among other things. Although the perforations 80 are shownalong the sides of pants 18, it is contemplated that perforations 80 maybe disposed elsewhere on the outerwear 10 to provide the wearer with ameans to customize the outerwear 10. For example, one or moreperforations 80 may encircle the sleeves 30 so that one or more lengthsof the sleeves 30 may be removed to create a variable lengthshort-sleeved or sleeveless jacket 14. Similarly, one or moreperforations 80 may encircle the leg portions 54 so that one or morelengths of the leg portions 54 may be removed to create a variablelength short-legged pants 18 (e.g., shorts). In addition, ventingperforations 80 may be disposed on portions of the outerwear 10 whereimproved ventilation may be advantageous (e.g., torso, armpits, etc.) Ifthe wearer desires ventilation in any such areas, the correspondingventing perforations 80 may be ripped open. Moreover, perforations 80may be a suitable substitute for a closure device 26 such as the zippershown in FIG. 2 to reduce the cost of producing the outerwear 10.Furthermore, an inexpensive closure device 26 (e.g., snaps, Velcro,etc.) may be used in combination with the foregoing perforations 80 topermit reclosure of the outerwear 10 after it is tom apart.

The illustrated jacket 14 and pants 18 are contemplated for use as adisposable layer of outerwear for an individual participating in anathletic or sporting event or activity. For example, jacket 14 and pants18 may be worn by an individual participating in an extended-lengthathletic activity such as a marathon. In other examples, jacket 14 andpants 18 are appropriate for cycling, climbing, hiking, cross-countryskiing, sailing, boating and other physical activities. Jacket 14 andpants 18 insulate the individual by keeping body heat in, whilerepelling water, deflecting wind, and keeping cold air out. Jacket 14and pants 18 are lightweight and microporous to allow perspiration fromthe individual's body to evaporate and escape from jacket 14 and pants18. Jacket 14 and pants 18 are also tear resistant and punctureresistant. They resist damage from contact with foreign objects that maybe encountered during sporting events, such as tree branches, bushes, orthe like.

Although jacket 14 and pants 18 offer some of the features and/orbenefits found on more expensive, high-performance “technical”outerwear, jacket 14 and pants 18 are generally lighter weight thantechnical outerwear, and may be manufactured at a substantially reducedcost, especially when recycled material is used. As a result, jacket 14and pants 18 may be sold at a price that permits them to be consideredfor one-time, disposable or expendable use. A runner in a marathon maypurchase jacket 14 and pants 18 for one-time use during the marathon anddiscard select parts or all of jacket 14 and pants 18 during themarathon whenever the runner's comfort needs change. Althoughsufficiently inexpensive to be disposable, jacket 14 and pants 18 aredurable enough to be washed and worn repeatedly, rather than disposingthem after one-time use. Discarded jackets 14 and pants 18 may thus becollected by the event organizers or others, and thereafter sent to themanufacturer to be redeemed for a salvage value and recycled for futureuse.

Due to the low price, many participants may choose to discard the jacket14 and/or pant 18 relatively soon after the beginning of the event.However, the breathability and extremely low weight provide theparticipants with the options of wearing jacket 14 and/or pants 18 forlonger periods of time, tying the jacket 14 and/or pants 18 around theparticipant's waist, or otherwise carrying them along for the remainingduration of the event without substantially encumbering performance. Inaddition, the jacket 14 and pants 18 may each be compacted to arelatively small size. For example, the jacket 14 may be folded, rolled,or otherwise compacted upon itself and “balled up” within one of thesleeves 30, similar to balling up a pair of socks. The additionaladvantage of compactibility provides a participant with the option ofplacing the outerwear 10 in a fanny pack or an included pouch, therebymaking them available for future use, such as at the end of a race orother future events. The pouch (not shown) may include a zipper,fold-over flap, or the like to retain the outerwear 10 therein, andadditionally, the pouch may advantageously include a lanyard, loop,hook, or the like to attach the pouch to the participant. For example,upon completion of an event, runners may become chilled and stiffen upwhen they are warming down and are no longer generating superfluous bodyheat. The compacted outerwear may be uncompacted from a fanny pack orpouch and worn to retain body heat. In another example, the outerwear 10may be distributed to participants upon completing an event.

During the event, a plurality of drop-off recycling containers may bedisposed along the route to permit participants to discard parts or allof jacket 14 and pants 18 directly into the recycling containers ratherthan discarding them on the ground for event organizers or others toclean up afterwards. The outerwear 10 may be collected and recycled forreuse as disposable outerwear, among other things. In this way, theouterwear 10 may reduce event clean up costs and additionally may bekept out of the solid waste stream.

The protective outerwear of the present invention may be manufacturedfor and marked with a logo, design, or other indicia relative to aparticular sporting or promotional event, such as, for example, amarathon, half marathon, cycling event, or golf outing. It is known thatevent sponsors generally enjoy a positive effect on their images in theview of the event participants and a greater degree of loyalty. Further,sponsors may enjoy increased sales of the sponsors' products andservices on account of their association with the event. To that end,jacket 14 and pants 18 may include artwork and/or company logos (e.g.,event sponsor logos), or other indicia to serve as a promotional,marketing, or advertising medium. Moreover, the aforementioned outerwearstorage pouch may also be similarly or otherwise marked.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein. Variationsof those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventorsexpect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, andthe inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes allmodifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in theclaims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, anycombination of the above-described elements in all possible variationsthereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicatedherein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

1. A method for using disposable outerwear in a sports or athleticendurance event having a defined route comprising the steps of:distributing the outerwear to a plurality of activity participants;providing a plurality of containers along the event route for retainingthe outerwear and/or parts thereof as it is discarded by theparticipants; collecting the discarded outerwear and/or parts thereof;and recycling the discarded outerwear and/or parts thereof.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein during the distributing step, theparticipants incur a minimal charge for the outerwear.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein during the distributing step, the participants receivethe outerwear free of charge.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein therecycling step comprises recycling the discarded outerwear and/or partsthereof into disposable outerwear.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising the step of marking the outerwear with a logo, design, orother indicia.
 6. A method for using disposable outerwear in a sports orathletic activity, the method comprising: providing the outerwear to anactivity participant, the outer wear including a plurality ofperforations disposed thereon for facilitating quick removal and theouterwear being made of a material that is lightweight, strong,vapor-permeable, water resistant, puncture resistant and abrasionresistant; positioning the outerwear on a the activity participant;participating in the activity with the outerwear on the activityparticipant; removing at least a portion of the outerwear from theactivity participant during the activity by tearing the outerwear alongthe perforations; and disposing of the at least a portion of theouterwear removed from the activity participant.
 7. The method of claim6, wherein providing the outerwear includes providing the outerwear thatis made of a material including fine, continuous fibers of 100%high-density polyethylene that are randomly distributed andnondirectional.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the outerwear further includes providing outerwear including a jacket having anupper body portion with head and waist openings, and arm portions withhand openings, pants having a groin portion with a waist opening, andleg portions with feet openings; wherein the perforations are disposedon at least one of the jacket and pants.
 9. The method of claim 8,wherein the perforations are disposed on the pants.
 10. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the perforations are disposed on the jacket.
 11. Themethod of claim 8 wherein the perforations are disposed on both thejacket and the pants.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein providing theouterwear further includes providing outerwear including elastic membersproximate the openings to prevent unwanted airflow and moisture fromentering the openings.
 13. The method of claim 6, further comprisingrecycling the outerwear after participating in the activity.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, wherein recycling further includes recycling thedisposed of outerwear into outerwear useable again by a participant. 15.The method of claim 6, wherein removing further includes removing the atleast a portion of the outerwear without having to stop participating inthe activity.